Week #2 Response

The main point that Sea is trying to get at is a problem feminist have been trying to make society aware of for some time now. It has to do mainly with the unparalleled influence the media can have on the public, and their lack of concern to take responsibility for it. Sea's article specifically focuses on the media's portrayal of the typical man versus what a “real man” should be. In most of the cases presented, the lesser male is portrayed either as being “too” feminine or just plain stupid, where-as the greater portrayal is that of a tough, determined guy with a big truck. More often than not, these portrayals happen within beer and American truck commercials, but occasionally the use of these stereotypes can be found within all genre's of advertisement. His claim is that this is all part of a “metrosexual back-lash,” a reaction contained within the media resulting from a recent rise in men's fashion advertisement, which tends to feature much more averagely built, effeminate males. His concern is that if all these stereotypes continue to be used unchallenged and unchecked, that they may permeate society, causing men to believe that it is acceptable and even expected for them to act inappropriately as well as encourage them to assert their dominance over women. In his closing however, he points out that it is more likely that men will become tired of being mocked by these stereotypes, rendering these forms of advertisement ineffective and hopefully delivering the message that it is the commercial writers who are being inappropriate.